A returned Dr. Beverly Crusher and new pop-up collars on uniforms - these are some of the many additions that TNG's third season brings - but what are the essential episodes? Daniel, Darren, and Phillip comb through all 26 episodes in the "Earl Grey Supreme Court" to determine which episodes should be considered the Trek.fm essential episodes. The question of "essential-ness" is often tied to continuity in the Trek universe, but this episode brings up the difficult question of continuity in the Trek.fm universe.

Join Earl Grey as they eagerly debate if the Great and Powerful Kevin will remain so great and powerful, whether the Leah Brahms storyline must remain in Next Gen, and if anyone actually remembers the episode "The Vengeance Factor." The third season of TNG is generally considered to have many of the most-watched episodes, but which stories will make the cut? Let us know if you agree with Earl Grey's essential episodes of season three. -----

Daniel, Darren and Phillip continue the proud Trek.fm "essential" tradition of breaking down a season of their favorite series, sorting through which episodes should be officially kept. The trio begins, reluctantly, with "The Child" and makes their way through Next Gen's too short a season, all the way to "Shades of Grey." There are quite a few 2-1 votes for whether an episode is considered "essential" in this installment - that is, whether it embodies the spirit of TNG or sets up much-needed elements for later Next Gen or later parts of the subsequent Trek series. Earl Grey discusses when Lwaxana Troi should "officially" show up, whether "Q Who?" should be "very essential" or "most essential," and if Worf's "two bridges?!?!" must officially be retired.

Season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation suffered from a series of writer strikes and bad plots, along with captivating stories ("The Measure of a Man"), new characters (e.g., Guinan and Dr. Pulaski), and promotions for our crew. Join Earl Grey as they hold up season two to the "essential" winnowing process.

Daniel, Darren and Phillip begin a journey through Star Trek: The Next Generation to determine which episodes are "Essential" to the Trek viewing experience. Battle lines will be drawn, Justice will be debated, and coins will be flipped. Season 1 has been a contentious point in past episodes, how will it fare under the scrutiny of the Earl Grey Team?

CHAPTERS Episodes (00:09:56) Encounter at Farpoint (Yes) The Naked Now (Yes) Code of Honor (No) The Last Outpost (No) Where No One Has Gone Before (Yes) Lonely Among us (No) Justice (Yes) The Battle (Yes) Hide and Q (Yes) Haven (No) The Big Goodbye (Yes) Datalore (Yes) Angel One (No) 11001001 (Yes) Too Short a Season (No) When the Bough Breaks (No) Home Soil (No) Coming of Age (Yes) Heart of Glory (Yes) The Arsenal of Freedom (Yes) Symbiosis (No) Skin of Evil (Yes) We'll Always Have Paris (No) Conspiracy (Yes) The Neutral Zone (Yes) 15 Yes / 11 No Final Thoughts (01:07:29) HOSTS